CELEBRATIONS over Michael owen's explosive demolition job on Germany were defused ­ by a bomb scare.

More than 100 customers had to be evacuated from the Salt Cellar public house after staff received the threat at 8.45pm. Although it later turned out to be a hoax, the incident lost the pub hundreds of pounds in business.

Landlord Ken Shurvinton said: 'It was frightening. The phone call was made in a computerised female voice saying there was a bomb ready to go off at 10 o'clock. We must have moved about 100 people off the premises.

'Police carried out a search of the building with a sniffer dog, but after a while we realised it was a hoax.'

The customers, who had been evacuated to the rear of the pub car park, were allowed back into the pub 45 minutes later.

Mr Shurvinton said: 'It was a disaster, we've lost quite a bit of our takings. We don't know anyone who might have a grudge against us, it was the first time this has happened, and we hope it will be the last.